The Hindu Business Line : Dubai’s GEMS to corporatise school education

New Delhi, Feb 27 Dubai-based Global Education Management System (GEMS) is looking to corporatise school education by customising teaching and streamlining teachers training.

The group, which manages and owns almost 60 international schools in West Asia, the UK and European Union, said it will set up 200 schools with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore.

“We are looking to set up a hundred per cent owned subsidiary to take our education venture forward. Currently, we are managing eight schools in India. As a part of our expansion, we will be setting up schools in India,” Mr Sunny Varkey, Chairman GEMS group, told Business Line.

In talks up for tie-up

The company is engaged in talks with several industry majors either for a tie-up or a joint venture, he said adding the first few schools will come up in next 12-18 months.

Initially, GEMS schools will focus on the premium end of the market as “India has entered a new era of economic growth, and with that comes an increased need for providing world class, international education, within the country,” said Mr Varkey.

Middle-income target

However, it will develop schools targeted at the middle-income segment in the second phase.

The Varkey group is one of the largest non-national business groups in the United Arab Emirates.

GEMS has already made inroads into India and is managing schools in Noida, Haryana, Punjab, Jalandhar, Dasuya, Kolkata, Jaipur and now in Ranchi as well.

Following a management or owned schools model, schools are categorised as mid-market, mid-market plus, premium and premium plus and similar standards are followed across the world.

Advocating that primary education should not be denied to anyone, Mr Varkey said the group has joined hands with the NGO Pratham and contributed £250,000 in London to augment in education for street children in India.

Global footprint

The group is also in talks with potential partners in countries including some in Latin America, Europe and China.

“The opportunity for private education exists everywhere in the world,” said Mr Varkey.

To offset the shortage of trained teachers in India, the group is also looking at setting up a teachers training academy.

Said to come up in Delhi soon, the academy will focus on enhancing the skill sets of the teachers.

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